Airbus said it has signed a contract with Morocco for ten H22M helicopters which will be equipped for combat search & rescue operations and will be operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force.
“We are honored that Morocco has chosen to replace its legacy Puma fleet with the H225M,” said Bruno Even,CEO of Airbus Helicopters in a press release issued Tuesday.
The Royal Moroccan Air Force H225Ms will be equipped with a double hoist installation,a searchlight and a Safran Euroflir 410 electro-optical system. They will be able to carry machine guns and an electronic warfare system for self-protection. The contract with Airbus Helicopters also includes a support and service package with connected services.
There are more than 360 H225s and H225Ms in service around the world,totaling close to 980,000 flight hours. Military customers include France,the Netherlands,Hungary,Brazil,Mexico,Singapore,Thailand,Malaysia,Indonesia,Iraq and Kuwait.
Airbus has had a presence in Morocco since 1951 through Airbus Atlantic,a wholly-owned Airbus subsidiary specializing in composite manufacturing,the assembly of complex metallic sub-assemblies,and the maintenance and support of avionics equipment.
In 2024,Airbus Helicopters announced the creation of a customer center in the Kingdom,providing support for the 60 Airbus helicopters in service with the Royal Moroccan Air Force,the Royal Navy,and the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie. It will develop into a service center for maintenance,repair,and overhaul (MRO) with new dedicated facilities and will become the regional center for Airbus helicopters in West Africa.
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